More than 40 groups have signed on to sponsor an event geared toward combating pornography in the United States.

The National Day of Prayer Against Pornography will take place next Tuesday. The anti-pornography observance is chiefly sponsored by the group Morality in Media (MIM), which is dedicated to combating pornography usage via education and the law.

Patrick Trueman, president and CEO of MIM, told The Christian Post that his group intends to make this an annual event.

"We know that, 'unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.' Thus, all the efforts of Morality in Media, and groups, churches and individuals will come to naught unless our Lord is directing them," said Trueman.

"Because the response has been so overwhelming this will be an annual event. The date may change but we will continue the effort."

Trueman also told CP that he attributed the large number of groups and individuals aiding the Day of Prayer as being in part because of Americans starting to recognize the dangers of pornography.

"There is a great awakening to the harms, spiritual and physical, of pornography," said Trueman.

"Every family is dealing with the problem and the urgency of the task is now recognized. Thus, there is a great willingness to help."

Organizations lending their support for the Day of Prayer include Concerned Women for America (CWA), the Family Research Council, the Alliance Defending Freedom and Movieguide, a nonprofit entertainment-centered ministry and publication.

"As the nation's largest public policy women's organization we could not possibly stay silent on one of the worst cultural influences that harm women and children," said Crouse.

"In addition to the degradation and objectification of the old-fashioned pornography, today's pornography is increasingly more hard-core, violent and demeaning to women."

Crouse also told CP that she had coauthored a paper on pornography, which noted 10 harms of the product, including it being addictive, its harm to marriages, objectification of women, and links to sex trafficking.

"Pornography is not protected by free speech because of its harm to individuals and communities; obscenity is a crime. Also, many people, ironically, are unaware that using pornography can lead to impotency in men," said Crouse.

"So, pornography is far from the benign behavior that far too many people in our 'anything goes' culture assume that it is -- it is actually very harmful to men as well as women and children."

Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide, serves as a member on Morality in Media's board.

Baehr told CP that he began working alongside Morality in Media in the 1970s and felt that the event next Tuesday corresponded well with Movieguide's mission.

"We've been involved through the whole area of the media. ... This is a long, long history of involvement and understanding the influence of the media," said Baehr.